YMCA Leutershausen Journey Where the Pepper Grows

In August a team of young people from the YMCA in Leutershausen (Heidi‘s home town) visited Borneo.

Every one of them was involved last year helping with the charity bike race and wanted to get to know the place where Wolfgang and Heidi Oelschlegel and the Nehemiah Team Borneo are working.

Right on the day when the Indonesian Independence Celebrations began, Heidi and Wolfgang picked the team up from the airport in Kuching. They spent the first week in Sanggau at the children’s hostel which the Oelschlegels lead. They took part in various games and competitions, as well as organising a “Fun and Games Olympics” for all the kids. They also participated in the worship services, with song presentations and personal sharing.

At the end, they went to Melingkat for four days – a part of the donations from the Bike Races was contributed to the Model Kindergarten there. For the Germans, the four hour journey over the rock-strewn clay roads was a completely new experience; for Heidi and Wolfgang it was rather an improvement compared with previous years. There was a wonderful welcome for the team when they got to Melingkat. A loud murmur went through the church during the Sunday Service, when five young fellows, all over 180cm (5 foot eleven inches) tall, stood up in the first row for the opening prayer. They towered a head or two above all the Indonesians.

On the next day, there was a visit to the kindergarten with plenty of opportunity for practical involvement – the team gave the building a long-deserved coat of paint, inside and out. When the folk from Leutershausen heartily devoured and obviously enjoyed the local speciality – turtle stew – their visit became unforgettable, both for the guests and for the hosts!